On 30 November 2021,Barbados transitioned from a parliamentaryconstitutional monarchy under thehereditary monarch of Barbados (Queen Elizabeth II) to aparliamentary republic with a ceremonialindirectly elected president ashead of state.[1] Theprime minister remainedhead of government while the lastgovernor-general, DameSandra Mason, waselected as the country's firstpresident on 20 October 2021, and took office on 30 November 2021.[2]
Barbados became an independentnation state on 30 November 1966, having previously been aBritish colony. Like many other former colonies, Barbados became aCommonwealth realm, with the British sovereign,Elizabeth II, also serving simultaneously, asQueen of Barbados.
In 1979, a commission of inquiry known as the Cox Commission on the Constitution was charged with studying the feasibility of introducing a republican system. The Cox Commission came to the conclusion that Barbadians preferred to maintain theconstitutional monarchy. The proposal to move to a republican status was therefore not pursued.[3][4]
The 1994manifesto of theBarbados Labour Party dealt with the republic issue, proposing areferendum. In line with this promise, on 29 October 1996 a Constitution Review Commission, chaired byHenry de Boulay Forde, was appointed to review theConstitution of Barbados.[3]
The commission electedOliver Jackman, a former diplomat and a judge of theInter-American Court of Human Rights, as its vice-chairman.[citation needed]
The commission was mandated to:
1. determine the necessity for retaining the monarchical system of government and make recommendations in respect of the executive form of government most suited to protect parliamentary democracy, the fundamental rights andfreedoms of thecitizens ofBarbados and to achieve effective and efficient government so as to position Barbados to meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond.
2. To advise and make a recommendation concerning the appropriateness or otherwise of maintaining Barbados' link with theCrown.
3. To advise and make a recommendation concerning a structure for the executive authority of Barbados that is best suited to protect the independence and authority ofParliament and the fundamental rights and freedoms of its citizens.[3]
The commission held public hearings in Barbados and overseas.[3] The commission reported back on 15 December 1998, and submitted its report to the then Governor-General, SirClifford Husbands. The commission recommended that Barbados adopt further checks and balances along with aparliamentary republic system.[5] In 1999 the Barbados Labour Party's manifesto proposed that the findings of the commission and its recommendation that Barbados become a republic receive the early attention of the Government.[3]
A Referendum Bill was introduced in Parliament and had its first reading on 10 October 2000. With the dissolution of Parliament just prior to the elections in 2003, the Referendum Bill was not carried over.[3]
In February 2005 the Government of Barbados announced its intention to hold a referendum on the republic issue.[6] It introduced a Referendum Bill that month.[6] The Bill was passed into law as the Referendum Act in October 2005. The Act did not set a date for the referendum but instead specified that the "Referendum Day" could be proclaimed by the governor-general, being no more than 90 days and no less than 60 days from the date of proclamation.[7] The act itself could not amend Barbados's constitution, because under section 49.1 a majority of two-thirds of Parliament is required to make any amendments.[8]
According to the Referendum Act 2005,[7] the question to be asked was:
Do you agree with the recommendation of the Constitution Review Commission that Barbados should become a parliamentary republic with the head of state of Barbados being apresident who is a citizen of Barbados?
Owen Arthur, as prime minister, stated publicly: "Heaven forbid, but if Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth were to die, ifPrince Charles andPrince William were to die, I would have a fundamental difficulty swearing allegiance toKing Harry."[9][10] The comment came shortly after Prince Harry had attended a public function infancy dress wearing aNazi armband in January 2005.[11][12][13]
Mia Mottley, who was Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados, said: "We feel that it is the right thing to do to have a Barbadian head of state. We accept that there was a concern that the Government alone should not make that decision in this day and age and we are therefore committed to expressing our views to the public and having them pass judgment on it."[14]
The referendum on Barbados becoming a republic was planned to be held by August 2008, near to the time of theparliamentary elections.[15] However, it was reported on 2 December 2007 that the vote was to be deferred to a later date.[16]
On 22 March 2015, Prime MinisterFreundel Stuart announced that Barbados would move towards a republican form of government "in the very near future". Stuart told a meeting of hisDemocratic Labour Party:
"We cannot pat ourselves on the shoulder at having gone into independence; having de-colonised our politics; we cannot pat ourselves on the shoulders at having decolonized our jurisprudence by delinking from theJudicial Committee of the Privy Council and explain to anybody why we continue to have a monarchical system. Therefore,the Right ExcellentErrol Barrow decolonised the politics; Owen Arthur decolonised the jurisprudence and Freundel Stuart is going to complete the process."[17]
The general secretary of the Democratic Labour Party,George Pilgrim, confirmed the move and said that it was expected to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Barbadian independence in 2016. According to Pilgrim, the change would be implemented through a bill that would be presented to theParliament of Barbados.[18]
According to the country's Constitution, a two-thirds majority in Parliament is needed to authorise the change. The Democratic Labour Party had a two-thirds majority in theSenate of Barbados but not in theHouse of Assembly where it would need the support of the opposition Barbados Labour Party to approve the transition.[19]
FormerHigh Commissioner of Barbados to the United Kingdom,Guy Hewitt, described the "changed perceptions" of theBarbadian monarchy in Barbados following theWindrush scandal that led to Barbados becoming a republic,[20] despite the scandal being a British affair.
In September 2020, the Barbados Labour Party government of Prime MinisterMia Mottley announced in itsThrone Speech that Barbados would become a republic by November 2021.[21][22] The Barbados Labour Party held a two-thirds majority in both houses of the Barbadian Parliament (including all but one lower house seat), enough to approve a constitutional amendment.[23][24] If the plan was successful, it meant that Barbados would cease to be aCommonwealth realm, but would maintain membership in theCommonwealth of Nations.[25][26]
In the 2020 Throne Speech, theGovernor-General of Barbados, DameSandra Mason, stated, "[t]he time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind. Barbadians want a Barbadian head of state." Former prime ministerFreundel Stuart was also a supporter of Barbados becoming a republic, as was Hewitt, who stated in an interview that many Barbadians believe that the country was due for "a native-born citizen as head of state."[27][2] On 3 June 2021, it was reported in Barbadian media outlets that the general public could email to submit suggestions regarding the republic issue.[28]
On 27 July 2021, the Day of National Significance in Barbados, Mottley announced that Barbados' Cabinet had decided that Barbados would become a parliamentary republic by 30 November and accepted the recommendations of the Forde Commission.[29] Under the proposal, the president would be elected by both houses of parliament for a four-year term and be eligible for a second term. The president would have mostly ceremonial powers; real power would continue to bede facto vested in the prime minister and Cabinet.[29] The amendments to theConstitution of Barbados were to be made before 30 November to facilitate the swearing-in of a new president on that day.[29] The decision to become a republic without holding a referendum on the issue was criticized.[30][31]
On 20 September 2021, the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2021 was introduced to theParliament of Barbados.[32] It proposed the following amendments to the Constitution of Barbados:[33]
On 28 September 2021, the House of Assembly of Barbados passed the bill (25–0).[34] On 6 October 2021, the Senate of Barbados passed the bill.[32] It receivedroyal assent on the following day.[35]
On 12 October 2021, the incumbent governor-general of Barbados DameSandra Mason was jointly nominated by the prime minister and leader of the opposition as candidate for the firstpresident of Barbados,[36] and was subsequentlyelected on 20 October.[37] Mason took office on 30 November 2021 in a ceremony also attended byCharles, Prince of Wales.[34][38] Queen Elizabeth II sent a message of congratulations to President Mason, saying "As you celebrate this momentous day, I send you and all Barbadians my warmest good wishes for your happiness, peace and prosperity in the future."[39][40]
In the 1990s, several judicial rulings by the judges of the Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council seeking to curtail[41] the practice of death penalty in the Caribbean despite substantial support for it[42] led to calls by some indicating that if breaking ties with the United Kingdom was needed to carry out capital punishment as a form a justice it was the path the country (or region) needed to take.[43][44][45] Subsequent meetings were held at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government level calling for the need to replace the Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council and widened debate on other aspects of ties leading calls of a Caribbean Court of Justice in the region.[46]
In 2020, a source from the Barbadian foreign ministry said, "We love the Queen and the royal family and have no qualms with them. But we must learn to govern ourselves. Quite a few of the royal family have been to Barbados and will always be welcome. Our quest to become a republic is borne out of the fact that we need to get in line with the 21st century".[47]
SirGarfield Sobers, Barbadian national hero and former cricketer, criticised the government's decision to become a republic, and said, "The Queen was very highly appreciated here. It will be very sad for a lot of us. It was a bit of a shock".[48] Other citizens questioned the need for change.[49]
Leader of the opposition,Joseph Atherley, criticised the timing of the transition,[50] whileGrenville Phillips II, the leader ofSolutions Barbados, opposed the move as it was without the express consent of the people of Barbados and promised a referendum if they gained power.[51] British television personality,Jeremy Clarkson, claimed that the change marked a shift of influence in Barbadian affairs from theUnited Kingdom toChina.[52]
In Canada, aconstitutional monarchy andCommonwealth realm, Members of Parliament belonging to theConservative Party sangCanada's royal anthem, "God Save the Queen", inparliament on 1 December 2021, while rejecting aBloc Québécois motion to congratulate Barbados on "renouncing the British monarchy".[53][54]
A 2021 survey taken by theUniversity of the West Indies between 23 October and 10 November asked a sample of 500 Barbadians from various backgrounds their opinions following the transition and reported some measure of support, albeit with only 34% showing outright support and 35% indifferent/did not care. When asked specifically on how they feel about having their own president or head of state, 51% responded they wanted an elected or selected head or president in the country while 12% responded with wanting to retain the Queen. There was overall a neutral feeling towards how the transition will impact Barbados with 66% responding neutrally and 21% responding that it will have a positive impact. Across the age groups, support for a republic was strongest in those over age 55.[55][56]
On June 20, 2022, a Constitutional Review Commission was formed and sworn in by Acting President Jeffrey Gibson (as President Mason was on a foreign trip), to begin the process of drafting a new constitution for the republican era of Barbados.[57] It is currently projected that the new constitution would be finished drafted by the end of 2024 with an 18-month deadline.The 10 members of this commission included:
On 30 September 2024, the Constitutional Review Commission submitted its report to President Mason in a small ceremony after 27 months of deliberations. Christopher Blackman, one of the 10 members said: "The draft Bill, which accompanies the report, expands the provisions of the current Constitution by more than 50 per cent, with a notable aspect being the greatly expanded Chapter on Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. This has led to the recommendation for the establishment of a Human Rights Commission for Barbados.While the Commission has recommended the maintenance of the status quo in respect of matters such as the first-past-the-post outcome at elections and elections being called at the discretion of the Prime Minister, other proposals, limiting the powers of the Prime Minister on appointments and the like, have been proposed,”.[58] The report was also submitted to the Prime Minister's Office.[59]
The report and the draft bill was released on 21 November 2024 to the public on the Constitution Reform Commission Website for the public's review with a final decision on the report due January 2025.[60][61][needs update]
Sir Henry Forde's Constitutional Commission's much-delayed report was published in December 1998. Its main proposals were to introduce more checks and balances on the government, to create the institutional structures to ensure politicians behave with greater probity, and to replace the British monarch as the head of state by a ceremonial President.
Barbadians at home and throughout the Diaspora are being invited to submit their suggestions for the new constitution as the island prepares to assume republican status. Persons are asked to submit their suggestions in written, audio, and/or video formats in keeping with the committee's mandate to engage members of the public in this historic transition effort. Submissions, including audio and video clips under 10 minutes, can be emailed to republicconsultations@barbados.gov.bb or posted to The Republican Status Transition Advisory Committee, Cabinet Office, Government Headquarters, Bay Street, St. Michael.
The truth is that there is no mention of any plan to make Barbados a Republic in the BLP's 2018 Manifesto ... within three months of the first sitting of Parliament, Solutions Barbados will allow Barbadians to give their consent, or not, in a referendum.
